House of Chains/Chapter 4
Coastal road, A'rath Forest As they travel through the A'rath Forest, Karsa and Torvald hear rumours of a rebellion mounting among the Seven Cities against the Malazan occupiers. When they walk through a village, they sense something is amiss and fear they are walking into an ambush. They are soon caught by a small army of Arak tribesmen armed with crossbows. Seeing as they are unarmored, the two men realize they stand no chance against the crossbowmen. Instead of fighting to the death, as he would have done in the past, Karsa unslings his bloodsword and surrenders. They are shackled by the Araks, and Karsa's shackles are so tight, they cut off the circulation to his hands and feet. Silgar appears, leading the men and promises to get repayment from Karsa for losing his men and being arrested for slavery by the Malazans. The Araks make camp that night with their prisoners, when Torvald stuffs his and Karsa's clothes with dry grass and kicks them into a nearby campfire, sending up flames that can be spotted for miles around. The Araks quickly try to quench the fire, muttering the word, "Gral" with fear. As one Arak cuts Torvald's throat as punishment for the fire, a group of Gral attacks the camp. Damisk and Silgar escape with Karsa through a warren, leaving Torvald writhing on the ground. Ehrlitan They leave the Warren in Ehrlitan, where Silgar orders Karsa's shackles removed since the town is controlled by the Malazan and slavery is outlawed unless the slave is a branded criminal. The return of blood to his hands and feet causes blinding pain. The trio are approached by Malazan soldiers who demand to see Karsa's slave brand. Karsa soon passes out from the pain in his hands. As Karsa regains consciousness, he discovers that Silgar and Damisk have been put in the stocks for illegal slavery. Karsa is still in the captivity of the Malazans though, who have been told by Silgar of his crimes against the Malazans in Silver Lake and who plan on sending him to the Otataral mines. Karsa shares his confines with a stranger, another prisoner who is also destined for the mines. The two agree it would be mutually beneficial to watch out for each other in the mines. That night, Torvald appears with some Gral and agents of the House of Nom and they help the prisoners escape. Torvald explain that the Gral spared his life and even helped heal his injury in return for a ransom. The stranger offers to lead Karsa out of the city through a secret doorway held by a man named Mebra. Pan'potsun Odhan The next day, Karsa and the stranger are pursued by horsemen. The stranger suspects Mebra has betrayed them and that their pursuers have a mage. Karsa voices his intent to attack after dark. Night falls and the two escapees spy upon their pursuer's camp, which include Silgar and Damisk, who apparently bribed their way out of the stocks. Karsa attacks, killing several and driving the rest away. In the melee, Silgar's hands and feet are cut off, and Karsa drags him away, promising a slow and painful death for his enslavement of the Teblor people. Eight days later they cross a path and look over the desert Raraku. Karsa asks why his people’s name —"Teblor" continually amuses the stranger. The stranger tells him: “Your kind walked this earth when the T'lan Imass were still flesh. From your blood came the Barghast and the Trell. You are Thelomen Toblakai.” He then names himself Leoman, and says he serves Sha'ik. de:Der Krieg der Schwestern/Kapitel 4 04